Penn Engineers have discovered a novel means of directing lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), the revolutionary molecules that delivered the COVID-19 vaccines, to target specific tissues, presaging a new era in personalized medicine and gene therapy.  While past research — including at Penn Engineering — has screened “libraries” of LNPs to find specific variants that target organs like the lungs, this approach is akin to trial and error. “We’ve never understood how the structure of one key component of the LNP, ...

Research in the field of material science and electronics relies on the innovative arrangement of molecules or atoms to develop materials with unique properties not found in conventional materials. Two-dimensional (2D) assemblies of π-electronic systems, arranged in thin layers, are becoming increasingly important in the fields of materials science and organic electronics. Their unique arrangement allows for specific electronic and physical properties, making them ideal for applications like solar cells, and flexible displays. However, creating such assemblies is challenging because it often requires special designs and techniques for each ...

A new paper in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that patients may benefit if doctors stop calling certain early-stage changes to the prostate “cancer” at all. Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide in men, but far more patients are diagnosed than die of the disease. In 2022, there were nearly 1.5 million cases of prostate cancer, but only 400,000 deaths. Low-grade prostate cancer, commonly known as GG1 among physicians, virtually never metastasizes or causes symptoms. Some medical researchers have wondered recently if it would be a benefit ...

We don’t all age at the same rate. But while some supercentenarians may age exceptionally slowly due to winning the genetics jackpot, a plethora of behavioral and lifestyle factors are known to speed up aging, including stress, poor sleep, poor nutrition, smoking, and alcohol. Since such environmental effects get imprinted on our genome in the form of epigenetic marks, it is possible to quantify molecular aging by characterizing the epigenome at prognostic genomic sites. Over the past decade, scientists have developed several such ‘epigenetic clocks’, calibrated against chronological age and various lifestyle factors across large ...

As artificial intelligence advances, its uses and capabilities in real-world applications continue to reach new heights that may even surpass human expertise. In the field of radiology, where a correct diagnosis is crucial to ensure proper patient care, large language models, such as ChatGPT, could improve accuracy or at least offer a good second opinion. To test its potential, graduate student Yasuhito Mitsuyama and Associate Professor Daiju Ueda’s team at Osaka Metropolitan University’s Graduate ...

SAN ANTONIO (October 1, 2024) – A therapy showing promise to help control tuberculosis (TB) does not interfere with combined antiretroviral therapy (cART), according to research by Texas Biomedical Research Institute (Texas Biomed).   “This is an important hurdle that this host-directed therapy had to clear in order to help patients battling both HIV and TB,” said Texas Biomed Professor Smriti Mehra, Ph.D., who led the study recently published in the peer-reviewed journal JCI Insight. TB is responsible for more than 1.3 million deaths worldwide every year. Dr. Mehra ...

Media Contacts: Alex Hulvalchick, 630-626-6282 Lisa Robinson, 630-626-6084, lrobinson@aap.org American Academy of Pediatrics Examines the Impact of School Expulsion and Recommends Ways to Create Supportive Learning Environments for All Students  Updated policy statement on school suspension to be released during the AAP 2024 National Conference & Exhibition in Orlando. ORLANDO, Fla.--Suspending or expelling a student is one of the most severe punishments a school can impose on a student – and it can have lifelong, devastating consequences. ...

A study of more than 28,000 pregnancies from 2022 has found that the majority of pregnant people received the COVID-19 vaccine during its initial release. The study, co-led by McMaster University and the University of British Columbia, used data from ICES, an independent, not-for-profit research institute, to provide insight into vaccination rates among one of the groups most vulnerable to health complications caused by COVID-19. The research, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) ...

A human rights-based approach to coral reef protection could ensure governments are held to account for safeguarding marine ecosystems and empower local and Indigenous communities to demand sustainable solutions and climate justice, a new study suggests. An estimated one billion people rely on healthy coral reefs globally for food security, coastal protection and income from tourism and other services. If reefs and their ecosystems are lost, the impact on human health and economic wellbeing would be catastrophic. Lead ...

The Hunga Tonga underwater volcano was one of the largest volcanic eruptions in history, and now, two years later, new research from The Australian National University (ANU) has revealed its main trigger. Until now, the cause of the cataclysmic event has remained largely a mystery to the scientific community, yet a student-led team of ANU seismologists has been able to shed new light on the natural explosion that initiated the event. The student researchers analysed the climactic event’s noisy but valuable seismic ...

A gene that limits cellular damage could be the key to surviving prolonged cold exposure. Researchers have identified a gene that enables mammalian cells to survive for long periods at extremely low temperature, which animals experience during hibernation. Body temperatures below 10 degrees Celsius (°C) swiftly prove fatal for humans and many other mammals, because prolonged cold stress causes cells to accumulate damaging free radicals—in particular lipid peroxide radicals—resulting in cell death and organ failure. But a few mammalian species can survive cold stress by hibernating. Hibernation in many small mammals involves ...

Microplastic pollution is a significant environmental problem that harms animals and people and affects ecosystems worldwide. These tiny pieces of plastic, smaller than five millimeters, are pushed by wind and water to move around the globe. Nasrin Alamdari, an assistant professor in the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, is on a mission to learn more about microplastics and how they move. In research published in Environmental Pollution, she helped examine how shape, size and density affect the speed at which ...

Analysis of questionnaires completed by 4,426 LGBTQ+ people in the USA suggests undergoing conversion practice targeting gender identity or sexual orientation is linked with symptoms of depression, PTSD and suicidal thoughts or attempts. Cisgender and transgender participants also had more severe symptoms of depression and PTSD if they had undergone conversion practice. Cisgender participants subjected to both types of conversion practice had a greater risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts than transgender participants – but mental health symptoms were more severe for transgender people overall, ...

An ultrasound test that detected 96% of ovarian cancers in postmenopausal women should replace current standard of care test in the UK according to a new study.   In a paper published in Lancet Oncology today (Monday 30 September), research funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and led by Professor Sudha Sundar from the University of Birmingham compared all currently available tests to diagnose ovarian cancer in postmenopausal women head-to-head in a high-quality diagnostic test accuracy study.   Of the six diagnostic tests investigated, ...

MIAMI, FLORIDA (EMBARGOED UNTIL SEPT. 30, 2024, AT 5:40 P.M. EDT) – A new study shows the potential power of imaging paired with radiation to shape treatment for glioblastoma patients in real time. The study, led by researchers at Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center, part of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine,  is the first to quantify tumor changes in glioblastoma patients receiving MRI-guided radiation therapy. This novel technique, also known as MRI-linear accelerator or MRI-linac, pairs ...

Ron Mittler is on a quest to create a smarter soybean. For years, mid-Missouri has withstood unpredictable weather patterns, including drought, heat waves and flooding — conditions that are known to hamper agricultural yields and make it difficult for farmers to produce. While we can’t control the weather, Mittler and his team are working to harness soybean crops’ natural ability to adapt to unfavorable weather conditions while also increasing their yields. Working with $2.4 million from ...

WASHINGTON — Researchers have developed a laser-based device that can be placed on the head to non-invasively monitor changes in brain blood flow and volume. The new device could one day help save lives by offering a direct and simple way to assess stroke risk based on physiological markers rather than indirect markers like lifestyle factors. Strokes occur when blood flow to the brain is blocked or reduced, causing debilitating brain cell damage. With about 15 million people worldwide affected by strokes each year, it is the second leading cause of death and ...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Monday, September 30, 2024 Contact: Jillian McKoy, jpmckoy@bu.edu Michael Saunders, msaunder@bu.edu ## BU Professor Receives $29M NIH Grant to Study Dementia Risk Factors, Prevention, and Treatment The Triangulation of Innovative Methods to End Alzheimer’s Disease project will use large, diverse datasets to examine whether interventions targeting alcohol use, depression, vision or hearing impairments, or social isolation can protect people from Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. This project is a collaboration among Dr. Maria Glymour at Boston University School of Public Health, Dr. Jacqueline ...

In an important step to protect the public from unproven stem cell products, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit ruled in favor of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in U.S. v. California Stem Cell Treatment Center, Inc., reversing the district court. The reversal fortifies FDA’s tiered, risk-based framework for the regulation of cell therapies and is consistent with a similar ruling in the Eleventh Circuit in 2021. The appellees urged the Ninth Circuit to uphold the lower court’s ...

A group of essential signaling molecules known as the Wnt pathway emerged early in the evolution of multicellular life. Scientists have been studying Wnt actions for four decades to comprehend its complex roles in development and disease. In development of the mammalian kidney, USC Stem Cell scientists from Andy McMahon’s lab undertook a pair of complementary studies, published today in the journal Development, that provide new insight into the critical role of Wnt signaling in initiating the development of the mammalian kidney. “Many stem and progenitor cells require Wnt signaling, ...

Flooding, including the devastation caused recently by Hurricane Helene, is responsible for $5 billion in annual damages in the U.S. That’s more than any other type of weather-related extreme event. To address the problem, the federal government instituted a program in 1990 that helps reduce flood insurance costs in communities enacting measures to better handle flooding. If, say, a town preserves open space as a buffer against coastal flooding, or develops better stormwater management, area policy owners get discounts on their ...

WASHINGTON — Researchers have developed a new method that combines video from thermal cameras with AI-based digital processing to enhance weightlifting training. By providing data-driven insights that enable targeted training and recovery strategies, the approach could help to optimize performance and safety in a variety of sport and exercise contexts. Thermal, or infrared, images can provide valuable information for sports and health by tracking muscle activation and detecting areas of strain or fatigue. This information can be used to prevent injuries, monitor thermal responses and quantify physical exercise, ultimately helping athletes boost their skills. However, most ...

Prior research has found that exposure to social diversity in early life, such as through day care, influences how people communicate. Those early social experiences can also moderate tendencies toward stereotyping down the road, according to a new study published in the NPJ Science of Learning. "The more time an individual spent in day care as a child, the more likely they are to overcome their own stereotypical beliefs during social interactions later in life," says senior author Arjen Stolk, an assistant professor in the Department ...

WASHINGTON — Researchers have developed a new type of bifocal lens that offers a simple way to achieve two foci (or spots) with intensities that can be adjusted by applying external voltage. The lenses, which use two layers of liquid crystal structures, could be useful for various applications such as optical interconnections, biological imaging, augmented/virtual reality devices and optical computing. “Most liquid-crystal-based devices are made from single-layer structures, but this limits light field modulation ...

After suicide care was integrated into routine primary care visits, researchers saw a 25% decrease in the rate of suicide attempts in the following 90 days, a new Kaiser Permanente study finds. The study, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, is the first to show that suicide risk screening in primary care, followed by safety planning, improved suicide prevention efforts in a health care setting. The trial took place at Kaiser Permanente clinics in Washington state, using data from January 2015 to July 2018. “Our findings are important because we know many people seek primary care prior to fatal and nonfatal suicide attempts,” ...